THE MATCH/MISMATCH IN PERCEPTIONS OF SUCCESSFUL AGING AMONG OLDER BURUNDIAN REFUGEES IN THE US

Abstract Perceptions of successful aging may be impacted by unique lived experiences such as migration, adaptation, and traumatic life experiences. While there exist studies on successful aging among immigrant communities, research studies on successful aging among older refugees, who flee due to life threatening situations, are sparse. The present qualitative study aimed to shed light on the match or mismatch that may exist between older refugees’ perceptions of successful aging and their perceptions of their lived experiences, as well as sex variations in those perceptions. Twenty-one Burundian refugees, aged 50+, were recruited from an upper Midwest community to participate in in-depth interviews. The qualitative interviews were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Themes denoting a match in aging refugees’ perceptions of success aging and lived experience included: wisdom/ability to give advice (i.e., guidance especially to younger individuals), experiencing peace and security, and fostering family relationships. A mismatch was highlighted in themes related to work experiences (i.e., the challenge of engaging in jobs not related to their prior skills), lack of social connections, and communication difficulties. Gender differences were apparent in that women emphasized shifts in work-related gender roles while men emphasized shifts in dependency-related gender roles. In many ways, aging refugees’ unique backgrounds and experiences seemed influential for their match/mismatch in successful aging perceptions and experiences. These findings highlight the importance for host communities to better understanding how refugees perceive and experience successful aging to best inform the implementation of effective interventions for aging refugees.

technology develops is shown to create a widening gap between older and younger populations, known as the digital divide.Introducing technologies into intergenerational learning environments remains an important step to bridging the generational digital divide.In accordance with the AGHE gerontological education competencies, these authors will describe how older adults utilize technology.The first speaker will discuss the effectiveness of a virtual intergenerational program that addressed experiences of ageism for older and younger participants.The second speaker will introduce user-centered design principles and innovative tools that facilitate virtual Information Communications Technology (ICT) support and training for older people with limited abilities in using technology.The third speaker will illustrate concrete practice through international cases from different intergenerational technology integration projects.The fourth speaker will present key elements from the University of Rhode Island (URI) Engaging Generations Cyber-Seniors Program internship and describe student experiences enrolled in the program.The last speaker will discuss the benefits and challenges of technology use among older learners and state the experience of leading older learners using technology in Taiwan.This is a Geriatric Education Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

LIFELONG LEARNING FOR THE OLDER POPULATION-TECHNOLOGY WITH THE OLDER LEARNERS
Yan-Jhu Su, and Andrew Alberth, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States Advances in digital information technology and population aging are two hallmarks of the 21st century.Modern students are increasingly dependent on digital technology in their education.However, how to make digital technology less exclusive to young students remains an important issue.The COVID-19 pandemic has also popularized remote learning and the use of communication software among all ages.Teaching remotely has broadened access to education for all ages.Therefore, how to use technology to help older people achieve the goal of lifelong learning remains critical.This presentation will review the literature to explore the relationship between technology and older adults, as well as share the author's experience leading older adults to use technology for online learning in Taiwan.The key takeaways from this presentation will help educators understand the benefits and challenges of technology use among older adults, and highlight ways to bridge the digital divide between older and younger learners in the classroom.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A VIRTUAL INTERGENERATIONAL ACTIVITY FOR REDUCING YOUNGER AND OLDER ADULTS' AGEISM Janelle Fassi, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
This presentation will discuss results from a study that examined whether a virtual intergenerational activity was feasible and effective for reducing ageism among older (OA) and younger adults (YA) during the COVID-19 pandemic.OA (n = 16) and YA (n = 15) completed a virtual intergenerational activity, and analysis was conducted for a subsample (n = 5 OA, n = 10 YA) who completed pretest-posttest ageism surveys.Paired samples t-tests showed no significant ageism change in attitudes toward OA.OAs' ageist attitudes toward YA (p = .012)were significantly reduced.Open-ended responses revealed several themes (e.g., challenging ageist stereotypes), which contrasted with statistical findings among the YA sample.Preliminary evidence demonstrated the feasibility of this activity.Further, OA and YA gained greater respect and understanding for each other as indicated by the openended responses.However, a larger sample size is needed to better determine efficacy.Nonetheless, the key takeaways from this presentation will help educators and program organizers alike explore when and how a virtual intergenerational activity can bridge gaps between older and younger adults.

APPLYING EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES TO INTERGENERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY-SUPPORTED LEARNING OPTIMIZES MUTUAL BENEFIT Shannon Jarrott, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States
Numerous intergenerational programs support varied goals using technology.Technological competence may be the desired outcome or the means for achieving outcomes in such programs.For example, Cyber Seniors operates in many settings with digital mentors providing technology training to more than 11,000 older adults.This and other technologysupported intergenerational programs have been delivered in-person and remotely with considerable success.Now that researchers have demonstrated feasibility and acceptability of intergenerational technology-supported learning, they may want to address the potential for such programs to be one sided.In the typical scenario, the youth bestows their technological expertise upon the older learner, but the pair can mentor each other to achieve additional goals.Application of evidence-based intergenerational strategies can optimize mutual benefit of technology-supported learning programs.In this paper, specific practices are illustrated with international examples from diverse intergenerational programs that incorporate technology.The author's and others' research linking practice with outcomes reveals that humanistic practice strategies (e.g., supporting equal group status in the contact setting) ensure that youth and older adults build relationships as well as technical skills while they learn from each other.

HOW AN INTERGENERATIONAL TECHNOLOGY INTERNSHIP MODEL BUILDS CAREER READINESS AND AGE FRIENDLINESS
Skye Leedahl, Kristin Souza, and Emma Pascuzzi, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States This presentation will describe the key elements of the University of Rhode Island (URI) Engaging Generations Cyber-Seniors Program internship and discuss results from an assessment study that examined post-survey data related to student experiences.Past research has shown that this program is successful in reducing ageism in student participants.In this study, we examined questions from two scales about youth empowerment and participation in planning that corresponded to the Career Readiness Competencies employers seek in graduates today as determined by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) and measures for building age-friendliness.Survey findings (n=112) showed that the areas in which students stated the most impact were: effort, problem solving, identity exploration, goal setting, and time management.This corresponds to improvements in the NACE Career Readiness Competencies of career & self-development, professionalism, equity & inclusion, and leadership.Related to age-friendliness, scores were particularly high for questions about students speaking out and educating people about older adulthood, telling people about how older people can be digitally included, feeling confident about teaching older adults to use technology, and having ideas about how to improve digital support for older people.The key takeaway from this presentation will be for educators to identify a way in which student experiences can be assessed for growth in career readiness and building age-friendliness.The massive growth in population aging has coincided with a time of continued fast-paced innovations in technology.Technology can be leveraged to support health, well-being, and quality of life in older adults with health, mobility, and cognitive issues and is a means of maintaining social engagement in later life.However, for technology to achieve its intended purpose, older adults must have access to and recognize the value of such products.Despite the sheer size of the older adult population, the field of Information Communications Technology (ICT), has long overlooked the perspectives of older adults with regard the design of ICT applications.ICT systems that fail to consider the diverse capabilities and attitudes of older adult users are likely to alienate a significant, growing segment of the population and will likely be underutilized.This presentation will review best practices to enhance older adults' usability and engagement with technology, with an emphasis on user-centered design principles as well as innovative tools facilitating virtual ICT support and training (e.g., TeamViewer software) to provide older adults who have limited to no technology proficiency with the skills needed to navigate its use.Key takeaways from this presentation will include a greater understanding of the importance of design principles to enhance usability and adoption of ICT systems among older adults; means of increasing access and adoption of ICT applications; and how user feedback can be leveraged to inform adaptions to enhance the efficacy and acceptability of technology applications, and ultimately foster psychosocial well-being in older adults.